Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukraine would resume strikes on Russian oil refineries, ending a short pause he said he had observed at the request of the United States. "We're done," he told the Financial Times, arguing that Russia had never honoured an "energy ceasefire" announced by US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The Kremlin never said it had agreed to the deal. Zelensky said he had held back for three days while Russian strikes continued to cut power to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians.
Russia said a refinery in Ryazan, south of Moscow, was targeted early on Thursday. Its defence ministry said four missiles and dozens of drones were intercepted, and falling debris started a fire. Ukrainian forces also reportedly hit the Borisoglebsk airfield in southern Russia and said they damaged six Su-34 attack aircraft, though this has not been independently confirmed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the strikes conflicted "seriously" with US peace efforts. Moscow had also claimed Ukraine attacked refineries during the pause, which Kyiv denies, and President Vladimir Putin said no significant damage was done.
The dispute follows a deal Trump struck last week under which Russia would supply up to $4 billion of diesel to the US and other markets, while Washington eased some sanctions. Fuel prices, pushed up by the war with Iran, have become a political problem for Trump ahead of November's midterm elections. Kyiv argues that hitting refineries is a way to cut a key source of funding for Russia's war.
Tension has been heightened by disruptions to military satellite services. Zelensky said Washington threatened to block intelligence-sharing if the refinery strikes continued, and Ukrainian officials said some Russian missile attacks came without the usual US early warning. Restrictions also affected Starshield, the military version of Starlink, which Ukraine uses to guide drones and coordinate on the front line. Elon Musk said the system is controlled by the US government and any limits are decided by the US military. Trump has denied halting intelligence-sharing. Ukrainian defence sources told the BBC that some Starshield functions have been restored, though it is unclear whether drone speed limits have been fully lifted.
Zelensky travelled to Brussels, where he met NATO chief Mark Rutte, who stressed the importance of an energy ceasefire and continued support for Ukraine. European leaders rallied behind him: French President Emmanuel Macron said Ukraine needs "all the means necessary to protect itself", and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote: "You are not alone." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called any unfreezing of Russian assets unacceptable. Zelensky is seeking more air defence systems, including Patriot missiles, as Russia intensifies attacks. Local officials said at least 13 people were killed on Wednesday, when more than 850 drones were launched, and Kyiv's energy infrastructure was hit again overnight. Separately, seven people are missing after a drone attack set a chemical tanker on fire off Romania.
The episode shows how far Washington's priorities and Kyiv's have diverged, leaving Ukraine to lean more heavily on European backing.